Education Minister encourages parents and carers to see if they are eligible for the Pupil Development Grant up to £200

You could be eligible to receive up to £200 to buy school uniform, equipment, sports kit and kit for activities outside of school for your child.

The Minister for Education, Kirsty Williams, is encouraging parents and carers to contact their local authority to see if they are eligible for the Pupil Development Grant (PDG) – Access.

The Welsh Government fund, which has doubled to over £5 million this year, supports families with the costs of school uniform and sports kit, and equipment for activities both inside and outside of school.

The Welsh Government say “The grant is central to the Minister’s commitment to remove barriers to learning and ensure equity and excellence for all children and young people. Through targeting looked after children and learners eligible for free school meals, it aims to help those families most in need of help with these expenses.”

The Minister’s call for action coincides with the publication of the responses to the school uniform and appearance policies consultation; part of wider plans to reduce the cost of the school day.

Kirsty Williams said, “No pupil should be forced to miss out on opportunities because of their personal circumstances and background. All learners should be encouraged to aim high and be supported to achieve their goals.

“This fund aims to help address the greater disadvantage learners face simply by not being in a financial position to engage in extra-curricular, enrichment and after school activities.”

Welsh Government have set up a page that allows you to search for your local council (Readers on Wrexham.com are likely to be Wrexham, Flintshire or Denbighshire – and some English ones but they are not eligible for this scheme) which then gives you the right link for each council.

Wrexham’s dedicated page is given as this address, that currently reads: “We are waiting for final confirmation from Welsh Government regarding the eligibility criteria for the PDG Access Grant for the 2019/2020 financial year. Once confirmation is received this website will be updated with the latest information. It is anticipated that applications for the Grant will commence by the end of June 2019.”

Denbighshire however appear to have had a copy of the criteria, as their web page has the details as well as a form setup and working for applications.